Piece by Piece
by Shaye1106
Summary: Her style is a reflection of all she's been and all she's known. "It's Happy and love, Happy and hate, Happy and friendship." Her wardrobe is simply Happy Quinn. This features the team's musings.
_**There's a lot**_ that makes up Happy Quinn. Her ability to act without fearing the consequences, her independence, her smartass remarks. The way she cares more than she lets on and loves her family despite never having learned to be a part of one. It's all reflected in her wardrobe, each and every piece unique to her and the life she's had to live. But it's also the sum total of all the people she's known and the ones who hold a special place in her heart...

 _ **Toby**_

Their outfits tend to coincide and, contrary to the team's belief, it is not done intentionally. On the day that they met she was wearing her black leather jacket. Half-zipped and clinging to her body tightly, it told him a lot. The way she crossed her arms protectively over her chest and used the jacket as a security blanket. One of style and yet one of such pain. The pain of her past reflected in her eyes and the need for security in her outfit. To be badass on the outside and taped together pieces on the inside.

When they officially begin working together, he notices the small changes. The jackets left a little more unzipped, the boots a little taller, the arms held loosely at her side. She changes with him and he changes with her. Earns her trust slowly, methodically almost. It's more than curiosity- he's infatuated with her. Her personality of rough edges and sunken insides along with her sense of humor and inherent knowledge of all that he is. And, of course, the small patches of skin that rise with her jacket sleeves or show at her collarbone are just a bonus.

 _ **Paige**_

Tank tops. She loves the tanks. They're part of Happy's style and Paige starts to notice this before her first week on the job is up. Maybe it's the way she's so confident or the way the thin fabric clings to her skin after catching a suspect. Whatever the reason, Paige's favorite outfits are sure to include one.

But perhaps her favorite is the green for it's the first time Paige was given a look into Happy's heart. Into her fears and troubled childhood. Happy's always more open on tank top days- from allowing Paige to treat her to ice cream to sitting face to face and baring their souls. Sometimes it's the only occasion in which Happy will allow her to be close and for that reason, Paige is never happier to see the tops be given a more permanent place in her wardrobe.

 _ **Megan**_

Gentle pieces of work her jewelry is, made with such a delicate touch. She's not supposed to know- that much Megan is sure of- but she can't help but feel more connected to Happy because of it. Knowing that Happy makes each and every piece of her jewelry (unless she receives it as a gift) fuels her smile. It's not that Megan has seen her work her magic, Happy must make the pieces at home, it's the craftsmanship and sentimental trinkets she's watched amass over time that prove her theory. A three tiered ring for the people she has lost. A scorpion bracelet for the team. An 'x' ring for the bond between the two of them.

Maybe one day she'll broach the topic. Maybe later when they've had more time to learn each other. But for now it's nice to know that their life and the life of the team is documented in each ring, each bracelet, each anklet. They matter to Happy, she matters to Happy, and she can't ask for a better gift.

 _ **Walter**_

Walter and Happy are both broken or so it seems. Losing fathers and father figures, being used and abused, growing up separated from all that is good, they usually see eye to eye. They understand each other's past and for that, Walter is thankful. She may be angry and he may be distant but they are nearly one in the same. Neither is great with expressing their emotions, hell sometimes it feels as if they cannot even be processed. That's why he appreciates her color choices. He sees her happiness in green and her hurt in black. He can gleam her entire mood from her wardrobe and it helps him to communicate with her via EQ. It's one of the few places in his life he can feel at ease socially and it's all because of her.

 _ **Sylvester**_

Combat boots aren't associated with him. Not with his skittish nature or the troubled past he shares with his father. But Sylvester is glad Happy has chosen them as her footwear of choice. She was always too quiet, her footsteps barely discerned from the rest of the garage ruckus, and that in itself proved to scare him. Silent footsteps sneaking without warning despite her attempts to make him aware of her presence. He was always too caught up in his algorithms to notice her walking towards him. And while he couldn't draw himself away from his work, he couldn't go on having panic attacks every time she wanted to speak with him either.

The change was sudden. One day she wore Converse and the next she wore boots. It was the same the next day and the day after that. By the end of the month, he deemed it unlikely for her to return to her old pair of shoes. She cared about him, that much was certain, and now every time he heard the dull thud of heavy boots, his smile grew a little wider.

 _ **Cabe**_

It never ceases to make his heart clench when she wears her hair down. He told her once that doing so reminded him of his daughter. Giving her a heartfelt smile, so different from his brash nature, and a small shoulder squeeze, he made a difference. Happy began to wear it down, forgoing the half-up or ponytail styles she was so accustomed to. It brought him back to the present; brought him to a world where his daughter was no longer but his fatherhood would live on. They were connected. She was his to protect and he couldn't be more grateful for another chance to honor his own flesh and blood. Because, every now and then, having that reminder was the only thing to keep him moving forward.

 _ **Her style**_ isn't traditional; it doesn't follow the magazines either. It's Happy and love, Happy and hate, Happy and friendship. And although her style may be different, it tells of her past, her present and her future. It's her in ways she can't express. It is simply Happy Quinn.


End file.
